Hillsborough Families Learn When They Will Access Secret Documents

The bereaved families of the Hillsborough tragedy will get access to secret documents this September, it was announced on Wednesday.

The Hillsborough Independent Panel has analysed more than 400,000 pages of documents from 80 organisations concerning the disaster, and will hand them over on 12 September.

Ninety-six Liverpool fans were crushed to death on overcrowded terraces in Sheffield during the FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989.

The main cause was a failure by South Yorkshire Police to control the crowd, an official inquiry found.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the panel said the documents will be disclosed to the families first, and they hope that "by making this announcement today it will give the bereaved families sufficient time to prepare for the disclosure".

It emphasised that one of the panel's central objectives had been consultation with the bereaved families.

Home Secretary Theresa May said: "The government is fully supportive of the work of the independent panel.
"The panel's work has been detailed and complex, but the government is pleased that it will complete its work by the autumn."